Angela Rayner has returned to frontline politics as Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government under Prime Minister Andy Burnham. Her appointment comes after a period of controversy over her £40,000 stamp duty avoidance and a £17,000 payoff following her resignation from Keir Starmer's cabinet.
Rayner's department has pledged to push forward with devolution, aiming to “put power back in people's hands - and hope back in our hearts.” However, behind the scenes, relations with Burnham's inner circle remain strained. Rayner has notably been excluded from the prime minister's close advisory group, which includes northern MPs Louise Haigh and Anneliese Midgley.
Burnham's risky gamble
Burnham's decision to bring Rayner back into the cabinet is seen as a calculated move to keep her close and neutralise any threat from the backbenches. However, critics note that voters may not forget her stamp duty controversy, and the rehabilitation of Louise Haigh, who was convicted of fraud, adds to the perception of a “cabinet of all the talents” with dubious credentials.
Despite their long-standing friendship and shared political history, Rayner was not part of the operational team that fought Burnham's Makerfield by-election campaign, and she reportedly remained uncertain about her cabinet appointment until the last moment.
Leadership ambitions still alive
Rayner's leadership ambitions are believed to remain strong. She was reportedly eyeing the premiership before Burnham's rise, and her supporters insist she is loyal, pointing to her backing of Burnham when he was blocked from running in the Gorton and Denton by-election in January. Yet, if Burnham falters, Rayner could become a rallying point for discontent, as she was under Starmer.
Haigh, now a key figure in Burnham's administration, revived Labour's soft-left Tribune Group and threw its support behind Burnham. When Rayner sought the group's backing for her own candidacy in May, Haigh rebuffed her. The tension between the two women remains palpable.
Burnham's popularity within the party is currently high, but the presence of ongoing scandals could erode that support. As one observer noted, “Burnham may be king today but as every chess player knows, the queen ultimately has more moves.”
